Sporting t-shirts and jeans and short haircuts, it might be easy to confuse We Barbarians with New Order- era Euro arena rock, but they are indeed Long Beach, NY natives. Living in Brooklyn now, they’ve been hard at it. In the past five years, they’ve released four records and have opened for big indie bands from Ra Ra Riot to Tokyo Police Club. Their latest self- released EP Headspace contains a much more direct and close-mic’ed sound than their previous EP’s, which were much more dronier and awash in reverb by comparison.
Standout “Chambray” yields that classic righteous warrior sound we’ve been hearing from bands like U2 for years now, but David has the voice capable of delivering a range to easily rival Bono’s, and the three-piece locks it in for anyone missing singers like Jeff Buckley singing to the rafters.
Arguably, the standout is their cover of David Byrne’s “Strange Overtones”. We Barbarians’ treatment of this classic marries Byrne’s world music dance vibe to Quon’s penchant for anthems. It’s a unique idea, and I give them credit for owning up to the challenge.
After so many EP’s released in such short succession, I can only imagine a full-length is on the docket. But right now the band is getting ready for a tour, so I’m hoping they announce new dates soon! – Mike Levine (@goldnuggets)

Lotte Kestner has the quiet, understated intensity made possible by her bare bones production.  She is reminiscent of Seattle’s Tiny Vipers, but even more closely related to the likes of Grouper with her wonderfully thin, beautiful, reverb kissed vocals.  Her compositions in general, at the heart of them, are melancholy folk meditations.  Rather than evoking woodsy, finger-picked platitudes, they manifest feelings of dissolution and isolation.

China Mountain, Kestner’s last release in 2009 named after a mountain range in southern Oregon, was recorded over a year in her basement bedroom, and mixed with Trespassers bandmate Matt Brown.  Recently, on September 27th, Kestner released a cover of The National’s "Conversation 16", which with her stripped down means, lays bare the effectiveness of the vocal pattern and lyrics, acting as a kind of distillation showcasing what makes the song function in its essence. 

Sounding unlike any new band you’ll hear all year, The Stepkids capture all the glitter and gold of classic seventies funk, R&B and soul music with such expertise that their recently released self-titled debut album could convince as a rediscovered lost recording from that era. Channeling the spirit of Earth Wind & Fire, Sly Stone, Todd Rundgren and dozens of others, but with their own personalities stamped all over their work, the Connecticut/NYC-based three piece could very well be considered a 21st century successor to those great artists. The band will be headlining The Deli’s CMJ show at Pianos on Thursday 10.20, sharing the stage with other rising NYC artists like Caveman, Zambri, Ill Fits and Forest Fire. The full schedule of the Deli CMJ shows will be announced later this week.

At Saturday, October 1’s late night show, Bright Light Social Hour and Black Taxi (in the picture) brought Mercury Lounge down with an fantastic show. Austin’s BLSH, who whipped the crowd into a sweaty dancing frenzy with their infectious grooves, more than warmed up the audience in preparation for Black Taxi. It was the perfect way to celebrate the band’s new single, "Tightrope” (check out the track below), which they performed among other already addictive new tracks, amplifying the anticipation of their sophomore album, "We Don”t Know Any Better," scheduled for release in early 2012, and fan favorites, “Love Song For a Ghost,” “Shoeshine,” and “It’s a Ball.” During the closer, “Up Here for Thinking (Down there for Dancing),” the band welcomed the audience to join them for an on stage dance finale, ending the show on the highest of notes. Don’t miss Black Taxi as they traverse the east coast and perform thrice for CMJ at The Studio at Webster Hall, Bowery Electric, and Mercury Lounge on Octoer 18, 20, and 22, respectively. –Meijin Bruttomesso

Local scene update:

A couple of members of the late Baltimore band, You, Me, and Everyone We Know, have apparently remembered that rock and roll is awesome and started a new indie-pop project, The Little Indians. You’ll hear the echoes of YMAEWK in this band, but the sound is definitely different.

I actually don’t like the label "indie-pop" for The Little Indians. I mean, it’s completely, irrevocably appropriate, but they seem to err on the side of rock and roll more than the electronic dance hall side of indie-pop. It’s maybe more indie/pop than indie-pop. Does that even make sense? I highly doubt it, so allow me to provide a brief illustration. Imagine that Her Space Holiday and Matt and Kim and Chairlift all got together and gang banged your favorite pop-punk bands from when you were 14, producing a child whose cries all resound as catchy, melodic hooks. And further imagine that child grew up appreciating the classic American sounds of the 50’s and 60’s, incorporating those soulful melodies with optimistic, feel good lyrics. (This metaphor has gone on far too long already. I’ll stop now before it gets really bad.)

At least, that’s what their first single, "What Makes You Grin" seems to sound like. It also sounds like there are plenty more releases coming soon, so keep your ears to the ground! In the meantime, check out "What Makes You Grin" and judge the band for yourself. Like what you hear? Leave some love in the comments.

–Jarrett

Although Grant Olsen wrote all the songs, calling Gold Leaves a solo project is a misnomer.  Olsen had a great deal of help making The Ornament, which is out now on Hardly Art. Jason Quever of Papercuts was by his side through most of the recording process, serving as co-producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist. Quever helped guide editorial choices, keeping scratch vocals when Olsen wanted to go back into the vocal booth and try again, and laid down the four-in-the-morning cello part that haunts "Hanging Window." With a résumé that encompasses tutelage under Motown veterans and credits with Beach House and Brightblack Morning Light, Ben McConnell was an ideal percussionist to anchor Olsen’s amorphous musical ideas. Thao Ngyuen (Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Thao & Mirah), Amy Blaschke, and members of the Moondoggies all contributed backing vocals. 

With its roller rink organ and rumbling timpani, the title tune is propelled forward by the sort of ambitious yet calculated D.I.Y. production associated with legendary ’60s British pop producer Joe Meek. From opener "The Silver Lining," with its sense of a life teeming with possibility (and a deft lyrical borrow from Steinbeck and some 11th century poetry), to the rising strings and keyboards of the dramatic finale "Futures," The Ornament sounds full but never overstuffed. This is a record full of judicious choices.

Although Grant Olsen wrote all the songs, calling Gold Leaves a solo project is a misnomer.  Olsen had a great deal of help making The Ornament, which is out now on Hardly Art. Jason Quever of Papercuts was by his side through most of the recording process, serving as co-producer, engineer, and multi-instrumentalist. Quever helped guide editorial choices, keeping scratch vocals when Olsen wanted to go back into the vocal booth and try again, and laid down the four-in-the-morning cello part that haunts "Hanging Window." With a résumé that encompasses tutelage under Motown veterans and credits with Beach House and Brightblack Morning Light, Ben McConnell was an ideal percussionist to anchor Olsen’s amorphous musical ideas. Thao Ngyuen (Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Thao & Mirah), Amy Blaschke, and members of the Moondoggies all contributed backing vocals. 

With its roller rink organ and rumbling timpani, the title tune is propelled forward by the sort of ambitious yet calculated D.I.Y. production associated with legendary ’60s British pop producer Joe Meek. From opener "The Silver Lining," with its sense of a life teeming with possibility (and a deft lyrical borrow from Steinbeck and some 11th century poetry), to the rising strings and keyboards of the dramatic finale "Futures," The Ornament sounds full but never overstuffed. This is a record full of judicious choices.

Whimsical and playful, with a touch of angst and a heavy dose of emotion, Sydney Wayser’s music sings like lullabies throughout the contemporary folk scene of New York City. The young singer-songwriter’s sweet, engaging voice can be likened to Feist or Regina Spektor’s, filling up songs that conjure up images of a sunny day in Paris. Her second full-length album, The Colorful, is a lush mix of melodies and chords that intricately tell stories of her youth and experience. Sydney will be headlining The Deli’s CMJ Roots Stage on 10.19 with Lucius, My Cousin the Emperor, Ursa Minor & more artists. Full lineup to be announced soon.

Volatile Brooklyn trio Methodist displays a penchant for angst-ridden punk rock with edgy indie rock inclinations on their eponymous six-track excursion. Demonstrating an abundance of stinging riffs whose healthy balance of vitriolic virtue and jagged melody allows the deft rhythm section the freedom to flavor up their aggressive attack as they see fit, the hard hitting demeanor and general sense of disdain this act exhibits propels a musical journey reminiscent of acts such as Black Flag, Fugazi, and The Bronx. Methodist doles out serious punk rock attitude with electrifying immediacy and wiry fury spearheading their cerebrally minded attack. www.myspace.com/methodist –Mike SOS

After three years of constant touring, lineup changes and hardships, NYC-based band Big Tree is celebrating a new beginning with their aptly named album "This New Year." The band will be performing their new material on a series of fall tour dates including a stop at their alma mater, Sarah Lawrence, on 10/7 and a performance at Brooklyn’s Union Hall on 10/8. – Amanda Dissinger

This Fall by BigTree